November 26 vs. Brown (5 p.m.)
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December 1 vs. Central Connecticut State (1 p.m.)
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LOWELL, Mass. - The UMass Lowell men's basketball team returns to action after a nine-day break and will continue its eight-game homestand against Brown on Tuesday, November 26 and against Central Connecticut State on Sunday, December 1.Â
A WIN WOULD
A win on Tuesday would mark the team's first ever win against Brown. It would also give the team its fourth win against an Ivy League opponent and first against an opponent other than Cornell.
LAST TIME OUT
Despite erasing a 19-point deficit to force overtime, UMass Lowell fell, 80-75, against Dartmouth to wrap up the first ever River Hawk Invitational on Nov. 17. With the River Hawks down by three after a layup from freshman
Connor Withers inside of the final minute of regulation, rookie
Ron Mitchell pulled up from the top of the key to knot the score at 67-67 with 19 seconds on the clock. The Big Green had the last shot, but the UMass Lowell defense got the stop to force overtime. The home team took its first lead of the night almost two minutes into the extra period before graduate student
Christian Lutete hit a three from the corner to give his team a 75-71 edge. However, free throws proved to be the difference, as Dartmouth sealed the decision.
LEADING THE FLOCK
Through seven games,
Christian Lutete is leading the team with 21.6 points and 8.6 rebounds per game.
Obadiah Noel follows with 14.6 points and
Josh Gantz adds 8.6 rebounds. Withers also boasts a team-best eight blocks, while Gantz is first on the squad with nine steals and Noel totals 18 assists.
CLOSING IN ON A MILESTONE
Three different River Hawks are all closing in on the prestigious 1,000 Point Club.
Christian Lutete is the closest, needing just 37 points to reach the milestone.
A HISTORIC PERFORMANCE Â
With his 51-point performance at LIU on Nov. 8, Lutete surpassed the legendary Hank Brown's previous school record of 48 that had stood for 53 years (LTI vs. Lowell State, 2/3/66). He also became just the second America East Conference player ever to tally 50 or more points in a single contest and the first to do so in 25 years. Additionally, Lutete set a new career high and DI program record with 16 field goals, while matching a personal-best seven threes. He shot an impressive 64 percent (16-25) from the field in the performance that landed as No. 2 on SportsCenter's "Friday's Finest."
NEVER SAY NEVER
The young UMass Lowell squad has shown its resiliency this season, battling back to erase double-digit deficits three times so far. Most recently, the team came back from a 19-point margin to force overtime against Dartmouth on Nov. 17. The River Hawks have also won one of those three contests, defeating LIU after trailing by 13 on Nov. 8
CRASHING THE BOARDS
The River Hawks have started 2019-20 stronger than ever on the boards and are currently leading the America East with 12.3 offensive rebounds per game. The team is averaging a Division I best 40.0 rebounds with a +3.6 rebound margin, as well.
HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
This season, UMass Lowell has a record 17 home games. With its sixth consecutive win in a home opener this season, the team is now 131-79 in front of River Hawk Nation since 2003-04.
NATIONAL NEWS
The River Hawks are ranked 16th in the nation for total rebounds right now with 280 and 21 for total assists with 107. Individually,
Christian Lutete is ranked third for total points (151) and 20th for points per game (21.6).
STRONG CORE
The River Hawks, who returned 78 percent of their scoring from the 2018-19 team that set Division I program records for wins (15) and winning percentage (.469), is currently second in the league with 72.3 points per game.
SHARP SHOOTERS
The River Hawks, who are shooting 43.6 percent from the floor. have shot better than 45 percent on field goals four times this season.
HELPING HANDS
The River Hawks dished out a season-high 26 assists against UMass Boston on Nov. 12.
Obadiah Noel has stood out early as a playmaker with a team-best 18 assists. The squad has historically shared the ball well, ranking in the top 30 nationally with a new DI program-best 15.6 assists per game last year.
STEALING THE SHOW
For the first time since Feb. 11, 2018, the River Hawks recorded double-digit steals with 11 against UMass Boston on Nov. 12. The team is currently fourth in its conference with 6.1 steals per game.
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